The Nantucket Restaurants Cookbook: Menus and Recipes from the Faraway Isle

Lovingly assembled by New York Times columnist Clark and Nantucket food publicist Mormar, this true foodie's cookbook features dishes from 18 restaurants representing the highest of high-end dining at the popular summer retreat. Nantucket, as the authors explain, has come a long way from its whaling-village, hardtack-and-salt-pork culinary roots. Today the island's menus rival their urban counterparts in diversity and cosmopolitanism, reflecting centuries of influence from immigrant seafarers and well-heeled visitors, Portuguese fishermen and classically trained chefs. The authors include a wide representation of culinary styles, from classic Escoffier at the Chanticleer to uninhibited Asian fusion at Black-Eyed Susan's. The selections, though eclectic, like Hot-Smoked Salmon Beignets with Rose Pepper Beurre Blanc and Grilled Red Endive Garnished with Caviar and Beet Ravioli with Truffle Butter Sauce, are bound by a certain thematic unity: they tend to showcase seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood. Although bursting with ambitious ingredients and no shortcuts, to Clark and Mormar's credit, even daunting techniques (e.g., scented pastry creams, oil infusions) are presented accessibly. Eminently readable and elegant, the book captures the best of the leisurely oceanside season with which to tempt both sophisticated entertainers and armchair epicures. (Apr. 24)